Small things worth celebrating
Buttons are so common that we stop seeing them, yet they are tiny objects with a surprising amount of history and charm. For centuries they have fastened our clothes, and along the way they became miniature works of craft, carved, painted, molded, and cast in every material imaginable. Collectors prize antique and unusual buttons, and crafters hoard jars of them for the sheer possibility they represent.
National Button Day falls on November 16 and is often tied to the button-collecting society that has celebrated these little fasteners for decades. It is a gentle, quirky observance, perfect for anyone who has ever kept a tin of spare buttons just in case. The button society that popularized it treats collecting as a serious hobby, with categories, shows, and a devoted following.
How to celebrate National Button Day
Start with the button jar almost every household has somewhere. Pour it out, sort by color or size, and enjoy the small satisfaction of order, and you will probably rediscover a few beauties you forgot you had. If a favorite shirt is missing a button, today is the day to learn the genuinely simple skill of sewing one back on.
Buttons are also a fantastic crafting material. Kids love gluing them into pictures, and adults use them for jewelry, greeting cards, and mixed-media art. Spend an hour making something small and colorful from a handful of them.
Buttons beyond the sewing basket
If the idea of collecting appeals to you, buttons are an easy and affordable hobby to begin, since interesting ones turn up at estate sales, thrift stores, and in old sewing boxes for very little money. Vintage buttons in glass, metal, and shell can be genuinely beautiful, and learning to spot them is half the fun. Some carry surprising craftsmanship for such small objects, hand-painted, carved, or cast with detail you only notice up close.
A jar of buttons is a jar of possibilities, waiting for the right project.
For crafting, a big assortment of buttons in mixed colors and sizes is the most useful thing to have on hand, along with a basic sewing kit for attaching them and a small organizer to keep the collection from scattering. Whether you sew, collect, or craft, November 16 is a fine excuse to appreciate the humble button, proof that even the smallest everyday objects can be worth a second look.
How to celebrate
- 1Sort the button jar
Pour out the tin of spare buttons every household seems to own and sort them by color or size. You will rediscover a few beauties you forgot you had. It is oddly satisfying, tidy work.
- 2Learn to sew one on
If a favorite shirt is missing a button, today is the day to learn to replace it. Sewing a button on is a genuinely simple, useful skill. A basic sewing kit is all you need.
- 3Make button art
Glue buttons into pictures, string them into jewelry, or decorate a greeting card. Kids love the color and texture. It is a cheap, cheerful craft for any age.
- 4Explore vintage buttons
Interesting old buttons in glass, metal, and shell turn up at estate sales, thrift stores, and in old sewing boxes for very little money. They can be genuinely beautiful. Learning to spot them is half the fun.
- 5Organize your stash
Keep your crafting buttons in a small organizer with compartments so they do not scatter. An orderly stash makes the next project easy to start. It also keeps loose buttons away from curious toddlers and pets.